30 Unique Patchy Beard Styles — For The Distinguished Man

As much as we would all like to sporting thick, full beards with not a single hair out of place, many of us are lef t with a patchy beard instead. While some flounder around looking for means to make up for the lack of hair in places, some men make the most of it. Introducing the patchy beard, a strangely fashionable look for men who long gave up on rocking thick garibaldi beards and the likes. See for yourself in these 30 spectacular examples just how good men can look with patchy beards.

# 1 Rugged Patch

As much as it is not the best look when you have your facial hair growing thin and spaced far from each other, growing it into its maximum length can have a counter-intuitive effect and make it look good. In this example, we see how stylish the minimally trimmed patchy beard is, owing to its unbridled ruggedness and mildly attractive unruliness. Although the idea is to let it grow wild, maintain the length of a medium stubble for the best effect.

# 2 Goatee and Soul Patch

Here we see how making the best of uneven growth involves focusing on the areas with the most length. Although the growth at the cheeks is sparse, the thick moustache, goatee and soul patch give the look all the manliness it needs to look incredibly tasteful. The beard has also been left to grow naturally with no apparent signs of trimming or shortening.

# 3 Extra Patchy

A faded chin strap looks just as good even without the accompanying moustache and goatee at the end of it. Minimal trimming is a good way to go about it as it leaves it looking wider, giving the jawline a superb outline. The best part about having such slight growth is that you never have to worry about anything more than a medium stubble.

# 4 Unruly

You really don’t have to stick to any strict outlines and/or trims to properly rock a patchily bearded face. The unruliness of the beard bears its main appeal and shows the unique ruggedness that can only be afforded by a beard left to grow wild. Thick sideburns connect the hair with the rugged beard superbly.

# 5 Thick and Thin

Some men sport a fairly good growth underneath while the sides remain light and stubbly. The bearded chin, thin moustache and slight goatee provide an excellent frame to the face while the patchily bearded cheeks actually make the beard appear stylishly trimmed.

# 6 Patchy Full Beard

To pull off the full beard look despite your facial hair deficiency, you can comb over the longer strands of hair to cover any visible patches. As seen in the example, this also gives the beard a nice volume despite its slightly wispy appearance. A thick moustache caps off the rugged alpha male look.

# 7 Wild Full Beard

Sometimes the best way to grow beard that just won’t fill in properly is to let it grow wild. Everything about this look is rugged and this can be attributed to the lack of grooming. Despite that, the thick patches of beard still give the jawline a distinct outline which is further emphasized by the thick untrimmed sideburns. A patchy moustache and slight soul patch complete the outlandish look.

# 8 Jamie Dornan Beard

In this picture, Jamie Dornan embodies the rugged appeal with his unruly mess of facial hair. The wildness of the growth gives the look a lot of natural masculinity while the rugged texture and different patches of thickness infuses an outlandish appeal that is very attractive. Paired with sexy bedhead hair, this is the ultimate bad boy look.

# 9 Stubbly Patches

Light, stubbly beard looks good whether it grows in patchy or full. The disconnected moustache and goatee adds a cool effect to the overall stylishness of the look. The moustache and soul patch accompany the goatee well but the stubble on the cheeks can either be restricted to underneath the chin or left to grow wild as in this example. Both looks work for most patchily bearded men.

# 10 Patchy Van Dyke

James Franco rocks a patchy version of the elegant Van Dyke quite stylishly in this example. The beard features thick sideburns, a thick chin curtain and patchily bearded cheeks left to grow rugged. The highlight is towards the front where the thick goatee and moustache sans soul patch give the look a nice manly finish.

# 11 Crisp Patches

David Beckham shows us that patchy can actually look better than a solid full beard. For one, the texture is fantastic and definitely makes the look a lot more interesting as the thick sideburns spill over in patches on the cheek. The jaw line also benefits from a stronger outline while the moustache, goatee and soul patch have been kept at the length of a full stubble.

# 12 Fade-Out Full Beard

This style makes full use of the nature of patchy beard by letting it grow wild and relatively untamed. As such, a stylish effect is created when the thick sideburns mellow out into stubbly beard at the cheeks before thickening at the chin to finish in a stylishly bold goatee. This kind of gradient is very appealing as it naturally highlights the cheek bones and gives the face a more crisp and angular frame.

# 13 Rugged Garibaldi

An uneven trim bears the main attraction of this masculine beard style. Just short of qualifying as a full beard, the fade-like effect on the cheeks gives it a smooth transitioning from the fullness that is unique from the crisp trims we’re used to seeing on fully bearded faces. Aside from the cheeks, the volume is generally even all through and it results in a supremely dapper look.

# 14 Patchy Ducktail

Focus on your goatee and moustache if your beard tends to grow in patchy. Here, Brad Pitt styles the lengthy goatee into a fashionable duck tail beard sans the fullness of a full-on thick beard. Nevertheless, the finish is still distinctly stylish thanks to the thick chin curtain which outlines the jaw line and the cool moustache and soul patch to match with the goatee.

# 15 Disconnected Moustache

Keanu Reeves rocks a fairly wild beard in this picture shortened to a mild stubble. If your beard is really patchy when it grows in, keeping it relatively short and stubbly is one way you can go about rocking facial hair confidently. Once again, the lack of any crisp definitions which include a carefree disconnect between the moustache and the goatee add to the rugged appeal of the look.

# 16 Justin Timberlake’s Neat Beard

Justin Timberlake shows us how to rock a formal look with patchy beard. Although a trim might be necessary, it should be nothing crisp enough to add any defining lines to the beard. The patchiness of the beard has played out to his advantage by allowing him to rock a stylish natural taper where the beard thickens gradually towards the jaw line and the chin. A great outline and a more angular face is the result.

# 17 Dapper Beard

Stubbly and patchy is the way to go when trying something with a bit more class. When aiming for a more formal look, combing through or even leveling the natural fade of the beard is recommended as it helps it look neater and less wild. A broad, disconnected moustache amps up the classiness of the look and also instates a distinctly manly appeal.

# 18 Thick Bold Look

Shia LaBeouf uses the natural patchiness of his beard to give his look a masculine twist. He goes for thickness on all fronts for a bolder look with the exception of the lighter soul patch and patchy areas on the cheek. Once again, a broad moustache is the statement finish this look needs to emphasize its masculinity.

# 19 Full Patch

Keanu Reeves’ beard style borders on what most would call a full beard save for the natural patchiness of the growth which makes it unique. This is a relatively untamed look as it is apparent that neither the length nor the trim has been altered in any way. Effortlessly manly, the thick moustache and goatee are given a rugged boost by the thick patchy beard on the cheeks that features stylish flecks of white.

# 20 Adam Brody’s Patches

The growth here is more spotty than patchy and most men prefer to shave these types of beard. However, Adam Brody shows that focusing the thickness on the lower sides of the face also works with spotty beards despite the texture. The patchy growth also emphasizes the cheekbones by shadowing the cheeks. A disconnected moustache wraps up the somewhat boyish look.

# 21 Mildly Patchy Stubble

Although this style features a relatively stricter trim with fewer wild hairs, it is still effortlessly rugged. However, the main appeal of this patchy look is in its general neatness with slightly more defined cuts. The touch of silver on the stubbly goatee is a nice touch on Daniel Craig and it adds a bit more spice to the otherwise severe look.

# 22 Daniel Radcliffe’s Silky Beard

Full at the front and wild at the cheeks, Daniel Radcliffe’s beard features a smooth, silky texture despite its generally rugged appearance. Thick sideburns morph into a dark chin curtain that outlines the jaw line before joining the full moustache and goatee at the front. The slight patchiness at the cheeks serves to add a carefree aspect to the look.

# 23 Light Stubble

A more youthful look can be achieved by keeping your patchy beard at nothing more than a light stubble to darken the face and highlight the cheeks. A fairly crisp trim helps Daniel Radcliffe to highlight the high cheekbones while giving his angular jawline a bolder outline and a more youthful appearance.

# 24 Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rugged Beard

Although few can rock this type of beard length without looking slightly unsavory, Leo still manages to pull off some semblance of formalness with a rugged full beard. As is characteristic of patchy beards, the lower parts of the face carry more length and volume while the cheeks remain sparsely bearded. Leo matches his voluminous goatee with a similarly bold moustache and a slight soul patch.

# 25 Spiky Stubble

Blondes and redheads suffer the most when it comes to patchy beards due to the noticeable color. The best way to rock your beard in this scenario, as Ed Sheeran shows, is to keep it as a moderately short stubble. Here, the color works to your advantage so you can go as short as possible without shaving it off entirely.

# 26 Bill Murray’s Mutton Chops

In this example, Bill Murray goes vintage by sporting mutton chops. The thickness is focused on the moustache, sideburns and cheek while the goatee has been kept at a short trim. This is no doubt the designated look for dapper folks with a taste for sophistication.

# 27 Patchy Salt and Pepper Beard

George Clooney stylishly contrasts the smooth textures of his swept hair with the rugged patchy appeal of the full beard. Thick at the sideburns, the jaw line and at the front, the patchiness is reserved to the higher parts of the cheek. A full moustache and goatee finish the manly look with a bang.

# 28 Kit Harrington’s Dapper Style

Unbeknown to most, patchy beard bear the most stylish appeals owing to their differently textured looks and quite often, gradually thickening gradients. Kit Harrington uses the latter aspect to look exquisitely dapper in his formal wear as the facial hair runs thicker on the chin and jaw line and more sparse on the cheeks. A disconnected moustache caps off everything stylishly.

# 29 Iwan Rheon’s Carefree Beard

Growing in patchy, carefree tufts, Iwan Rheon sports a fully grown beard with a short disconnected moustache. The emphasis of the look lies in the thick chin curtain and slightly patchy cheeks which give the face a fantastic natural outlining that emphasizes on the high cheekbones and results in a more angular shape.

# 30 Trimmed French Fork

Instead of unruly, Johnny Depp goes for stylishly trimmed to end up with one of the most unique ways to wear a patchy beard. Facial hair is sparse on the cheeks with only a little shadowing the high cheekbones and outlining the jaw line. Towards the front, a bold moustache takes center stage with a soul patch and a thick forked goatee capping off the unique look.

Embrace your patchiness and create a style that you can rock effortlessly.